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(No Moc'tel.)

J..A..`KUNKEL. INDICATORTOR ARRIAGES, &G.

Patented Oct. 5,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOI-IN A. KUNKEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INDICATOR FOR -OARR|AGEs, ao.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591 ,282,Y dated October 5, 1897.

Application file d `J' une 14, I 8 97.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN A. KUNKEL, of New York city', in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Silent Carriage-Call, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in carriage-calls, intended to obviate the noise incident to calling the numbers of carriages wanted.

The invention consists of a casing having guideways Within which are placed multiple series of transparent plates each having a separate numeral painted or otherwise placed thereon, and means by which these plates may. be elevated or otherwise moved so as'to bring them into view and when released drop out of sight.

The invention further consists in details of construction which will be speciiically de# scribed and pointed out hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the'accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thevviews.

Figure l is a front elevation ofthe device. Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation. Fig. 3 is a partial sectional plan view of the same, and Figf/l is a sectional elevation taken at vright angles to Figs. l and 2.

A casing A is mounted upon a post A', or is supported in any other suitable Ymanner at such an elevation that it may be readily seen above the carriage and from a considerable distance. 'Preferably the casing will be mounted upon the post A, which is provided with a base sufficient to give it stability, and will be set upon the sidewalk or in the street, Where it may be seen from a distance in either direction.

The casing A is hollow, and near its upper edge is provided with a series of holes or windows B, through which the numbers on the plates hereinafter described may be seen. Ordinarily three of these windows will be sufficient, as it will provide for ninehundred and ninety-nine numbers. B lies in front of a chamber, whichis provided with a series of guideways, within'each of which is placed a glass plate D. This glass plate D fits loosely in its guides, so that it may be readily raised or dropped. Each Each of these windows seal No. 640,696. (No model.)

chamber is provided with ten of these plates, each one of which has a separate numeral thereon.

- Beneath each plate D is pivoted at G' a lever G, connected at one end to a cord F. When the cord F is pulled, the lever G will swing upon its pivot and raise the plate D until the number thereon canbe seen through the window B. The plates D, which contain the numerals, are preferably made of glass and have the numbers painted thereon. This permits the light from the illuminating-lamp to shine through the windows and makes the number quite prominent. The levers G normally rest upon stops or supports g on the bottom of the casing A. w

The partitions E between the plates D may be made of very thin sheet metal or thin strips of wood, as desired. Preferably the casing A will be made double-that is, with tWo sets of numbers upon opposite sides of the illuminating-chamber. In this case the illuminating-chamber v,C is placed inthe middle of the casing, and each chamber has ten slides arranged at each end thereof upon each side ofthe lamp. The device will thus exhibit the numbers upon opposite sides without it being necessary to read either number backward. The chamber C may be illumihated by any suitable means. In the drawings I have shown small lamps C for this purpose.

In using this device the attendant will pull the proper cord to elevate the numeral desired. The range of this device is any number from l to 999, any number being capable of exhibition, as desired. The use of `the device will obviate a great deal of the 'noise attendant upon calling carriages where they are called by voice.

For convenience in inserting the lamps the casing may be provided with a door C2 at one 'end of the illuminating-chamber. Eachv one of the cords F by which the slides are raised should be labeled to correspond with the number upon the slide to which it is attached.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent v l. A carriagecall .comprising multiple se; ries of plates, said series being arranged alongside of each other, each plate of aseries IOO having different numerals, a casing having vertical guideways for said plates and windows'to render the upper portion of said guideways visible, levers pivoted beneath said plates but disconnected therefrom, each supporting a plate, connections to said levers by which any one desired may be operated and means for illuminating the space behind the plates.

2. A carriage-call comprising a box or casing divided into a series of chambers extending from front to rear and having Windows rendering the upper portions of said chainbers visible from the outside, the side walls of said chambers having a series of vertical guideways adapted to receive the number-plates, glass number-plates freely sliding therein and bearing each a numeral, each plate havinga lever pivoted beneath one edge thereof and supporting the same, said lever extending in the same direction as the number-plate, a cord attached to one end of the lever and extending through the bottom of the case by which the lever may be thrown to substantially a vertical position, said plates resting upon the levers but disconnected therefrom.

JOHN A. KUNKEL.

lVitncsses:

F. R. GERHARDT, I. S. LONG. 

